On Gov Snyder’s dick move: Economists say Wages and benefits tend to fall in right-to-work states

To my surprise not every Republican backed Gov. Snyder’s move to make Michigan a right-to-work state, nor did they approve of his tactics in doing so. One of them is a tea party member. The legislation passed quietly and deceptively. Most Republicans applaud the move, but statistics tell another story, “Of the top 10 states in per capita income in 2011, seven were not right-to work states. Of the bottom 10 states, seven were right-to-work. There is a lot of evidence that wages and benefits are lower in right-to-work states,” Belman said. “There’s a redistribution of wages and benefits toward owners’ capital.”

Gov. Rick Snyder has contended that right-to-work legislation may boost Michigan’s economic performance and attract new investments, but economists challenged those assertions Thursday, pointing out that wages and benefits tend to fall in right-to-work states and that Michigan has been a leader in attracting new investments for decades.

There were a few Republicans that didn’t fall in lockstep with Snyder’s drastic move.

“My district has a lot of support for unions,” explained state Rep. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), a Tea Party member and one of the “no” votes. “I had employers even calling me saying they’re satisfied with the relationships they have with unions in our area, and they said they didn’t want this either. I think that there’s room for some very serious reforms with union policy in our state, but I don’t think it was necessary to go to this length.”

“I’ve always rejected not being allowed to read bills before we vote on them, regardless of which party is in power,” said state Sen. Tory Rocca (R-Sterling Heights). “This is obviously a pretty weighty issue. People weren’t allowed to see what the language was going to be … until it was given to us literally minutes before we started voting. I couldn’t bring myself to justify making a change like this.”

State Sen. Anthony Forlini (R-Harrison Township) said he’s “not a right to work guy,” noting the union support in his district. “There are probably other things that we can do, and we have done, over the years,” he said.

State Rep. Dale Zorn (R-Ida) said in a statement that without a majority of his constituents asking for the bill to pass, he “could not in good conscience offer a yes vote.”

And who supports right-to-work states, funding such moves with tons of cash? The Koch brothers. The billionaire siblings who lost vast sums of money during the Presidential campaign, also want right-to-work states, likely because they themselves can then hire cheap labor.

Just as Governor Walker did not campaign on eliminating union rights, neither did Governor Snyder, yet here we are.

Remove unions, who work for increased wages and benefits, and of course wages and benefit will fall or stagnant. Good for business? Of course. Lower wages and benefits mean lower cost of doing business and higher profits. It is really a question of who you put first — business or the people.

Middle class guy

Good for business does not mean it’s good for the economy. This move in any more states could obliterate whatever is left of the middle class.

Jerry Critter

I agree, Middle. Business is making record profits, the economy not so much.

smgess

Eliminating the middle class is the idea. Why though? Without a middle, there is no economy. The poor subsist on paying for food and their bills. They go to the Sal. Army store for clothes. The only way to ramp up an economy is to make sure people are paid a decent wage. Then they have money to eat out, buy things, and enjoy life. What is it with the GOP? Why do they hate so many hard-working people?